


Rewritten

by orphan_account



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Dialogue Heavy, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, In Character, Kinda, Kinda?, M/M, NaruSaku BroTP, Not Sakura Bashing just keeping it Canon, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Updates, Team 7 & Sai, Team 7 Feels, leaving the village, my timeline isn't entirely correct, naruto goes with sasuke, not complete, possible future smut, slow build (?)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-14 23:25:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8033101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Naruto never expected Sasuke to willingly ask.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a loud bang that pushed Naruto to run faster, faster, _faster_. His tired eyes, sunken in from many nights of lost sleep watched in panic as the dark hallway in front of him was suddenly bursting with outside light. Walls crumbled to the tunneled ground as he raced to catch up with Sakura and Sai, who were what seemed like miles ahead of him. Yamato was somewhere behind him, he could hear the offset footsteps echoing like a panicked heartbeat.

Naruto watched as Sai stopped, then Sakura, both of them turning to face a figure he desperately wished to see. His legs ran faster, faster to the point of tripping over himself.

Finally his skin was touching the sunlight. It burned his eyes and for a moment all he could do was look straight ahead at his pink-haired teammate. His breath came in ragged pants, gasping for air until he heard that voice he had been missing for two years; suddenly he couldn’t breath at all.

“Sasuke…” he whispered as the two boys’ eyes connected—a spark, an understanding, a message was passed—Naruto exhaling quickly as though all the air had been beaten out of him. He didn’t know what he was saying now, maybe it was a plea or a beg, or maybe a question. Whatever he said, Sasuke replied, his tone cold and indifferent, and much more harsh than the playful bickering he was used to. Naruto was mad.

“Why didn't you kill me back then?!” He shouted, his voice cracking slightly not from overuse but from the pile of emotions he had stacked upon those words. He wanted to know, needed to know, _begged_ to hear a few certain words that could prove Sasuke still saw him as a friend.

“It was only on a whim…. but this time you won't be so lucky, Naruto.” And suddenly they were touching, their faces inches apart and their breaths mingling. Sasuke's head was practically laying on his shoulder and Naruto was too nervous to do anything but look straight forward. He could hear a gasp or two coming from behind them, reminding him that _no_ , the two of them were not alone.

Naruto could feel Sasuke moving, maybe his arm or his head or _maybe it was his legs_. Before he could stop himself his orange-clad arms were reaching up, desperately looking to cling onto anything, anything Sasuke.

His blond hair lays sloppily scattered upon his friends half-bare shoulder, and Naruto’s breath instinctively slows, his heart hurting when he smells that familiar musky scent that always belonged to Sasuke. And he can't help but let out a sigh, a thankful breath with only one word escaping his lips.

“...Sasuke..”

The other boy stops his movement, the sound of his katana clinking against its sheath in surprise is the only sound made. He is quickly pushed away by a strong hand against his chest; he is deaf to the shout of his name that comes from a worrying Sakura.

“What the hell do you think you're doing?” Sasuke yells, his voice low like a grumble but loud like thunder. His eyes are red and intense; questioning. His cool and calm facade is gone, Sasuke's uncaring attitude was never a real thing and this makes Naruto happy.

But Naruto stumbles back, hard enough to trip but not hard enough to fall and he is grateful for that. Sasuke would never let him fall.

A silence falls over the area where the grass is still burning slightly and everything smells like a candle after it has just been blown out. Naruto’s chest constricts, a pain pressing down on his heart, so heavy that tears begin to well in his optimistic eyes. He doesn't want to cry—he can't— so he takes a deep breath to hold them at bay.

When he takes this breath, his senses are no longer filled with the mixture of herbs and sweat that is Sasuke, but the smell of the charred rocks around them.

It's as if he's lost Sasuke all over again.

“Sasuke…” That's all he could ever say, damn his uncooperating mouth, “I need you.”

And it's quiet again as Sasuke takes his time to let those words sink in, to let those words manipulate themselves in his brain, twisting in gruesome ways that Naruto could never comprehend. He stares at Naruto openly, without worry.

Tears do not form in his eyes but his heart is contradicting itself, it's crushing and being crushed. His breaths come faster and he has to force himself to keep his face as a blank slate because looking at Naruto now is nothing but pain.

The way he openly conveys everything, Sasuke sees his feelings in those eyes, swimming around randomly, unable to escape. Sasuke wants to calm those crashing waves, but he wants to cause a hurricane as well and this makes him wonder about himself.

“Need me for what?” He asked, because he had nothing better to say—no witty comeback could form and no smirk could make its way upon his face. “So you can take me back and lock me away? Need me to come back so that I don't reveal any precious village secrets?” His voice was nothing but bitter.

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, his eyebrows furrowing even further than before, his eyes darkening with need. Before words could come out though, Sasuke spoke again.

“Tch, Naruto just shut up. I'm tired of looking at you.”

“S-Sasuke it isn't like that! How could you think—! I'm going to-”

“I don't care what you're _going_ to do! I don't care about you at all! I still haven't reached my goal yet, and I'm not stopping until I do.”

I care about _you_ though, Sasuke! Please… just stop this.” His voice that was once loud and booming was quickly becoming soft and pleading, weak.

“Naruto…” he began calmly, taking unnoticeable deep breaths through his nose, doing anything to keep his cool. “You just don't understand. So it's fine for you to chase after your goal, but not for me to chase after mine?”

"Not when you're killing innocent people! Not when you're giving your body away, Sasuke, not when-!"

"Have you forgotten we're shinobi, Naruto? I'm done with your excuses! You'd do the same as me if you were in my position!" Sasuke yelled, his voice rising yet his blade staying pointed to the ground. But as soon as those words left his mouth, he questioned them. It's not as if he hadn't thought about this, it's just that he's never found an answer.

Naruto isn't oblivious to the world, though it often may seem that way. Sasuke understands this—he _knows_ Naruto knows pain and he _understands_ the loss, if not even on a greater level than him.

_So if Naruto understands as well, why is he able to chase after me, to bring me back, to keep me from leaving again?_

Because it's not the same. His family was murdered before he ever met them, his murderer is concealed in a prison inside him, and Naruto only understands because his wild imagination allows him to.

“And _you’d_ do the same as _me_!” Naruto yelled back, his voice echoing off of the crumbling rocks and into the clear sky that Sasuke couldn't help but compare to Naruto’s eyes.

“No....no I wouldn't." Sasuke’s voice was flat and lifeless and filled with lies. He knew it was a lie the moment it flew out of his mouth. One half of him wanted to take it back but the other wished to desperately burn it into that other boy’s heart, he wanted it to sting like the slice of a kunai.

Naruto smiled. "I understand you, Sasuke.” He began calmly, having simmered down some due to the impact of those harsh words. “Your motives? I understand! I get why you're doing this but still I can't bear to watch you destroy yourself!"  
  
Sasuke's eyes turned to slits. "Then close your eyes. Turn your back, Naruto. Just leave."  
  
"I'd never turn my back on you!” He all but screamed, his heart sinking and his mind running in circles with questions like ‘how could he think such a thing?’, but answering itself immediately, only to ask itself again.

  
"So then,” he paused, his eyes never leaving Naruto’s even though he was fully aware of the powerful audience that was watching them. “You're coming with me?"

 _They would never let him go, he would never want to come._  
  
"W-what?" Naruto's heart began to rise to life again, color came to his cheeks and sweat dripped in trails down his forehead.  
  
"What?!" Sakura yelled, forcing the two boys to snap their heads and face her horrified expression. Naruto’s own eyes began to match her wide ones, his instinct to calm her almost overwhelming him entirely.  
  
"Sakura...." Naruto starts but is interrupted by Sasuke's louder, darker voice.  
  
"Shut up, Sakura. This conversation doesn’t involve you."  
  
"Sasuke!" Naruto scolds, his tone not angry enough to satisfy Sakura, not pleading enough to involve Sasuke.  
  
"I'm done here." Sasuke glares, sheathing his katana and forcing his eyes to once again lock with Naruto’s.  
  
_'Are you coming?'_ Those dark eyes asked, as Sharingan turned to black and Naruto was slowly being pushed away again. He could feel it on his skin, there were goosebumps from his gaze, there was hair standing on end from the thought of losing him again, there was….

There was Kyuubi in the background, a dismal growling coming from deep within, a threat made behind sealed bars. _Don’t do it. Do it._ Even he couldn’t make up his mind.

  
The blond was speechless, an open-mouthed fool with watery eyes and a heartache. Sasuke smirked because that was all he _could_ do. There would be no resorting to begging or threatening or apologizing. He was proud of Naruto’s reaction, he wanted it to sting. He wanted to make him feel the same pain so that maybe then when he shouts how much he understands, maybe then he really _would_ understand. Maybe then he could help the two of them, eventually.

Sasuke’s back began to turn, his smirk gone and his eyes now facing the top of the grassy hill he had blown apart and the crumbling rocks underneath it. His friend was behind him; Sasuke was the one who had turned his back, in the end.  
  
"Naruto." He said, "This is your only chance. If you don't come with me, the next time I see you really will be the last."  
  
"N-naruto..." Sakura called behind them, her voice shaking. Her hand was out in front of her, reaching forward as if to stop her teammate from taking any steps. Maybe she could control him if she tried hard enough.

But no matter how much she thought about it, the same conclusion was always reached. A scenario like this had popped into her mind more than a few times in the past, and each time would leave her crying on the floor, her knees curled to her chest and her pink hair sticking to the tears that would rush down her cheeks. Each time, she came to realize just how unimportant she was and really how lonely her soul had always been.

Never in her life had Haruno Sakura ever thought she would be willing to leave every dream she ever had behind, leave every family member and friend, leave her comforts and precious memories. Never in her life would Sakura do these things for anybody. Sure, she could say it, but lies are as smooth as honey on her lips and no one would ever hold her accountable for such love-stricken words. But now, here Naruto was, and he was going to do much more than she ever could.

Naruto didn't dare look back at her now, or Sai, or Yamato, who he knew were at the sides of him with weapons ready in-hand.

As Sasuke began to walk, he was soon accompanied by a second stomping of footsteps, running faster, faster, _faster,_ trying desperately to catch up.

⌧

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Please!” She screamed, her heart shattering, her voice piercing. She was running as fast as she could, it was the only thing she thought to do. Her hands were still reaching out, but this time for a different person. Her fingers were gripping the soft white fabric that covered Sasuke’s torso; they were pulling, holding on with all the strength they could.

She was shaking. Her senses were exploding from the amount of Sasuke’s new power. He had always been strong, but even after these few years he had been able to become stronger. _This_ _much_ stronger. She had to force herself to talk; push her voice to move above a whisper.

“Please don't take him away! Not him too!” There were already tears shimmering in her bright green eyes, her face was becoming red. Red under her eyes, red on her cheeks, red on her quivering lips. “Sasuke—”

“Let go of me, Sakura.” Sasuke stated calmly, his voice quiet and smooth. He had no trouble pushing her pleas away.

“I love you! I love you but…you can't do this, Sasuke! You can't take him away.” She cried, her other hand reaching up to grasp the white fabric as well. She wanted him to stay, she wanted him to go, she loved him, she hated him. With Sasuke, it was a never ending cycle of confusion.

“Who’s taking anyone? Tch, you're so annoying.” He spat, turning quickly around and clutching both of her small wrists in his hand. “I'm not forcing him to do anything. Shouldn't you be pleading to _him_ if you want him to stay so bad?”

She had to crane her neck to meet his dark gaze. Tears streamed from her wide eyes down her cheeks, dripping from her chin. She turned her head quickly, her gaze immediately meeting sad blue eyes that seemed to analyzing everything.

Naruto hadn't moved a muscle. When Sakura had ran after their teammate, he had frozen, a dark twist embedding itself into his gut. Into his heart. His throat was dry and barren, his hands and forehead dripping sweat. He couldn't do anything.

“N-Naruto…” she whimpered, her full body turning to face him after Sasuke dropped her cold wrists from his grasp. “Naruto, I know. I know, I know, _I know_.” She took feeble steps towards him, trying desperately to erase the determination in his eyes.

“I know, it's Sasuke.” She said his name happily, pointing backwards to the man who stood watching with a bored and tired expression. “Look, he's here but nothing else is! Look around you, Naruto. We aren't in Konoha, you aren't at home, or at Ichiraku, or at the training grounds! I-”

“Sakura I—” But Naruto was unable to finish his sentence, his eyes captured by the image of his best friend walking away. Sasuke had turned his back again, adjusted his shirt that revealed so much, and began to walk.

“Sasuke!” He cried, his foot daring to move forward, only to be stopped again at the sound of Sakura’s choked cry.

“Naruto! I don't want to be alone, please! Please stay… w-we can even go on a date if you'd like, Naruto, jus—!”

“Sakura, stop...please, stop.” Naruto turned his attention to her, a tear falling down his cheek, a swelling inflating his heart. His nose burned from trying to hold in his tears and his eyelashes could only hold so many.

Quickly, while Sasuke had momentarily paused his walking, Naruto gave his attention back to his former crush. He stepped forward, embracing her with her head against his chest, her body shaking with uncontrollable sobs. “Naruto, Naruto…Naruto..”

“Sakura, you won't be alone. Being away from you will be hard for me too, and I'll think about you all the time. Sakura you're so special to me, one of my closest friends! So please…” His voice was hoarse and broken. “...please stop crying.” Her slim fingers clutched his dirty orange jacket, he could feel her tears seeping through his shirt. Her sobs had yet to slow down and he guessed they wouldn't for awhile. He was crying himself, albeit much quieter.

He kissed the top of her head before detaching himself from her body.

“P-plea-ease, no, no…”

“I-I love you so much, Sakura.”

“Me, me too!”

“So Sakura…” He paused, his throat constricting, more tears falling. “Thank you.”

Her watery eyes met his as another burst of sobs racked her body. Her delicate hands covered her mouth as her face contorted in anguish. She knew it. _She knew it._ A hand clutched her heart— she couldn't bear this pain. Thank you meant so much more. Thank you meant ‘please, keep this a secret’, it meant ‘I don't know if I'm coming back’, it meant ‘I'm sorry for leaving you.’

“Tha-thank you.” she replied back with a much different meaning, and that was that.

Sasuke was walking again now, his legs lowering slightly before leaping, allowing him to jump atop the hill and out of the hole he had created. Naruto gave a soft look to Sai, who had just witnessed one of the hardest things in life, and Yamato, who he knew would tell Tsunade the truth no matter what Sakura did. He saluted them through teary eyes.

“ _This_ is _it_ , Sai.” he said, because once again, his words mean so much more. “See you guys around.” And he jumped, leaving Sakura behind his back and attempting to catch up to Sasuke’s.

She was left to cry on her knees, her hands desperately clutching her chest, her forehead touching the ground. “...again…n-not again…”

“Sakura.” Yamato muttered, his voice ringing with apology but without the words to say them. He had no words, he couldn't think. To him, an Anbu member, a skilled shinobi—to just stand and watch as two powerful ninjas turn their backs on their own village—he was feeling quite sorry for himself and the consequences that awaited. He was feeling sorry for his brain too, as confused as it was.

Sai was contemplative. The spectacle that had taken place in front of him was quite a show, but not surprising in the least. With the way Naruto talked about bringing Sasuke back even if he’s beaten down to a bloody pulp, well Sai thought what had happened was child’s play compared to Naruto’s earlier described scenarios. Sai thought this was a good ending, but Sakura still seemed unhappy. Shouldn’t she be happy for Naruto, as well? To see one of his dreams finally come true, he must be very happy. Yet Sakura was anything but… because wasn’t one of her dreams _also_ to bring back Sasuke? Did she perhaps want to go with them?

“Do you want to go with them?” He asked monotonously, his index finger coming up to rub against his lower lip in thought. He stared openly at her weak state. Where was the girl who just a few days ago had tricked him so well as to land a punch upon his face?

“More than anything.” She hiccupped, her voice slowly becoming drowsy and dull. Her forehead was still pressed against the ground, her unequal breaths forcing her to taste the dirt below her every once in awhile. She closed her eyes, her eyebrows un-furrowing and her body becoming limper by the second. It was too much for her to take in the real world, so she fell asleep, and that was that.

⌧

It was days later that she awoke in a hospital bed, an IV in her arm supplying her with some sort of clear liquid. Her eyes were blurry and crusty at the corners, and heavy to the point they felt as if they were filled with water. It took more than a few minutes for her to become adjusted to the bright light of the room, even though half of the lights were dimmed and the curtains were drawn shut.

Her head was spinning—when she tried to swallow, her throat felt raw and she was unable to do so without cringing. A constant beeping was background noise to her, as was the ceiling fan above her and the talk from staff outside her door. She was confused and unthinking and hopelessly calm. Her mind was refusing to let her remember—at least not now, not in this moment.

She stayed alone in that silent room for an hour...maybe two. She could have called in a nurse if she had wished; a simple push of a button could accomplish most anything. But for some reason she felt as if she needed to be alone, and so she was—for as long as she could be, anyway.

Maybe it was a few minutes, maybe a few hours, but time passed and eventually a young nurse came quietly in, humming a tune to herself as she looked down at the clipboard held between her hands. Her hair was dark and her eyes were small, and Sakura was already quite fond of her for some strange reason. The nurse looked up, her eyes going wide as they met with Sakura’s, her mouth forming into a small “o” shape.

“Oh, how long have you been awake? Are you feeling alright?” She asked, putting her clipboard down by Sakura’s feet and moving closer to the teen. “Can you talk ok? Is your throat hurting you? Your eyes are still a little puffy…well your whole face really, but that’ll go down once we put a cold cloth on you, so don’t worry.” She said with a smile, a genuine smile, and Sakura was sad.

She had never seen a smile so real from a person with such dark hair and small eyes.

“Oh no, what’s wrong? Are you hurting, why are you crying? Tell me where it hurts…” The nurse’s cold hands grasped her own, her thumbs rubbing circles into the side. Sakura shook her head slowly, tears stinging in her sore, red eyes.

“I—” Sakura began, only to stop herself and attempt to clear her throat. She could faintly taste blood and wondered how raw her voice sounded. “I’m not good enough.”

⌧

Naruto could swear he had once heard that “silence is the most powerful scream”. Now, he wasn’t exactly sure who said such a thing, but one thing was for certain. _They were full of_ _shit._ Walking side by side with Sasuke, Naruto wanted nothing more than to yell and scream at him, to ask him millions of questions and listen to billions of answers, and stories, and changes. Yet here they were in deathly silence, an awkward air looming around that Naruto desperately wished to be rid of.

Naruto sniffed, his tears dried up but his nose still runny. It had only been an hour or two since leaving Sakura behind. They had ran, in fear of Yamato suddenly breaking from his trance and coming after them and Sasuke was silent beside him the entire time, letting Naruto cry without saying a word of hate. Naruto didn’t know whether he should appreciate that or not. He decided he would. Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Sasuke quickly interrupted him.

“Finally done now?” he smirked without facing Naruto, his eyes still ahead of them as they languidly walked.

“Y-” he was taken aback by the playful tone in his friend’s voice. Well, it was playful to him at least… others might perceive it as annoyance but to each his own. “You—!”

“Why did you come if leaving is apparently that hard for you?”

Naruto quickly shut his mouth, the insult on the tip of his tongue quickly disappearing. He thought about how to put it into words, but it only took a quick second. “Um, I think you needed me the most right now.”

“Tch, that’s kind of hopeful, don't you think?”

“Yeah…”

⌧

Tsunade’s voice never raises above her normal tone, though her eyes dare to turn Yamato into a pile of ashes. Anbu stand guarding the door and a sound barrier is firmly in place, making the Hokage’s office completely protected from any wandering ears. If word spread that the village’s tool, it’s protection, it’s guarantee for an even playing field had  _escaped_ , Tsunade was sure she would never have another free moment to breathe.

But Tsunade’s thoughts weren’t like the villagers. Right now she wasn’t the fifth Hokage, she was a worrying guardian, a panicked adult, a mother-like (maybe more like grandmother-like) figure who was slowly crumbling inside with questions and worries and scenarios that just wouldn’t go away.

“How… how in the hell could you let something like this happen?” her voice was threatening and low, her mouth hidden behind her own hands. Her fingers were linked together, her elbows digging into the wood of her desk, and her bangs hanging so low as to practically cover her eyes. Yamato, scared as he was, couldn’t help but think she resembled Sasuke.

Despite her smooth words and cool tone, Tsunade’s face was red. Her nose was red and stinging from holding in tears. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were red-rimmed. Her dark circles only became more prominent under these circumstances. But whatever she did, she _would not_ cry. If Naruto had willingly chosen to go with Sasuke, that was his choice then, wasn’t it?

“I don’t have any excuses, Lady Hokage.” Yamato stated, his heart sinking with regret. Even if he were to have stopped Naruto, who's to say all of them would have came back alive? “All I could do was stand there and watch. It wasn’t between me, it was between _them_ —their team. Sai was not involved, either. He did not react due to my instruction, so please give him no punishment.” He bowed, wondering briefly if Naruto was doing alright, and what kind of punishment Yamato himself would be receiving.

“Tell me what happened." she sighed, "I don’t want any official reports filed on this, not until I’m sure he won't be coming back.”

Yamato stood up straight once more, looking directly into the Hokage’s clear, bright brown eyes as she continued to speak.

“This is Naruto we’re talking about—this village means the world to him. He can’t become Hokage if he’s running around carelessly.” Her wrinkle-free hands dropped silently onto her desk, a pen rolling slightly before stopping. The room was unusually silent but Yamato was fine; this was his comfort zone.

He cleared his throat and began. “We had infiltrated underground and begun checking any room we could find when…”

⌧

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i actually wrote another one surprise, surprise:)!! sorry about hardly no sasuke and naruto action, im just trying to set the story up so please bear with me! (i have no idea where this is headed im just taking it one chapter at a time)
> 
> [i truly think i wrote sakura very in-character tbh and you have no idea how many times i re-wrote tsunade and yamato's little scene together....jesus...]
> 
> ((& i dont usually write this much dialogue idk whats going on here))
> 
> thank you so much for reading, i hope you continue to support me! i don't know how long this will end up being, but let's stick together~!


	3. Chapter 3

Long before Sasuke had reunited with Naruto, he had begun planning something. But now that Naruto was here, some changes were going to have to be made—well, it was just one change for the most part— _everything was going to happen much earlier than anticipated._

Since Naruto was unable to use any sort of transportation jutsu like Sasuke’s, the two of them settled on walking by foot to the main base. It was more of a one-sided agreement; Sasuke settled on it silently while Naruto followed behind. Of course Naruto had questions as to where they were going, but he guessed he would find out when they got there. In the back of his mind he wondered about Sakura, and if she was still crying on her knees, surrounded by the charred rocks and the two new teammates who knew next to nothing about her. Naruto had dried his tears, yes, but that didn’t stop his heart from hurting. And fuck, did it hurt.

At first the boys had begun by running, then walking when they felt they were a safe enough distance from the Konoha ninjas. It was only an hour or two after that when in front of them appeared a flash, followed by a familiar figure.

“Eh-”

“Ah… Naruto.” A voice said slowly, almost tauntingly. It was a disgustingly smart-ass tone of voice, and it grated on Naruto’s nerves like nothing else.

“Kabuto.” Naruto greeted, his words low and unwelcoming. His fists subconsciously formed at his sides, ready to attack in case the white-haired man were to make a move. He briefly wondered how long it took Kabuto to defeat Yamato and his insides twisted at the thought of being on his side now.

“Naruto, you still have all of your body parts?” The man questioned, his middle finger coming to slowly push his glasses further up his nose. “I thought you were going to take Sasuke back?”

Naruto’s nose scrunched in anger. “Shut the h-”

“But you chose the cowardly way, right? Going with him ins-”

“H-!”

“Kabuto what are you doing, wasting time as usual? Shouldn't you be at the hideout by now?” Sasuke cuts in, his voice is slow and uninterested and Naruto doesn’t know whether to cool down or get angrier. Black eyes meet blue and silently they fight.

_Stop overreacting._

_Why are you still connected to these people?!_

“My, my, Sasuke.” Kabuto seemed to chide, “In a bad mood still? I would've thought seeing your blon-”

“Kabuto. You should have a reason for being here.” It was a threat, and Kabuto knew it. Hell, even Naruto knew it and half the time Naruto felt as if he didn't know _anything_ that was going on. The wind had begun to blow now and Naruto shivered, though he didn’t know if it was because of the wind, or because of Sasuke’s tone. He’d like to blame it on the wind.

“Just a word from Lord Orochimaru.” Kabuto began, his playful tone gradually disappearing as he sensed a spike in Sasuke’s unnerving chakra. “He expects you two there in no more than three days. No less either, of course. Best be quickly on your way.” He advised, adjusting his glasses once more and giving Naruto a shit-eating smile.

It took all Naruto had to not punch him straight in the face. Harming the ally wouldn't look too good, and he didn't want to jeopardize his time with Sasuke. For once he thought before acting.

“Until then, Naruto.” He said slyly, as a gust of wind began blowing his hair in every direction. That seemed to calmed Naruto some, seeing as how it made Kabuto look like a complete idiot. He almost laughed.

But then the white-haired man disappeared, a wave of fire starting from his feet and making its way up his body, seemingly burning him away. Naruto’s eyebrows creased, his breathing was heavy and loud and Sasuke waits for him to explode. Yet surprisingly, the blond remains silent, his red face leaving Sasuke with a feeling of confused nostalgia in his gut.

“Let's go.” Sasuke tilted his head back, signaling Naruto to follow. And he did. Of course he did. So they continued walking in silence, the sound of small rocks crunching under their shoes the only sound between them. For once, Sasuke was not okay with this silence. Naruto, on the other hand, seemed lost in his own world for now, so the silence remained only silence.

Naruto wondered again how Sakura was doing. _Does she hate me now?_

This breath of quietness gave Sasuke the chance to observe the land around them. There were no sights to see, not that he cared anything about seeing sights. There were no trees to jump through though, which meant no shade to rest in. Quickly he looked at Naruto through the corner of his eyes; his head was lowered and his lips pouted—his thinking face. Sasuke couldn’t help but be interested in what he might be thinking about. _Did seeing Kabuto truly upset him that much?_ If so, Naruto had a lot of toughening up to do. Or maybe he was having second thoughts already—maybe Naruto would be gone in the morning, on his knees begging the village to forgive him. Or maybe Naruto was thinking about Sakura again. This was something Sasuke could see, he could understand, so he let him think.

It was much later that the silence was finally broken again, a loud “Fuck, it’s hot!” leaving Naruto’s lips in a groan. His jacket had been tied around his waist a long time ago, and his orange pants were rolled to his knees. Though Naruto seemed to be tortured, he had much experience with this type of climate and travel. His inexperience with the transportation jutsus that Sasuke so heavily relied on was the main factor; yet Naruto complained all the same. Sasuke on the other hand was silently cursing anything and everything his eyes laid on. He wasn’t as used to such travel as he once had been, but a complaint never left his mouth. It was a good training exercise, he told himself, and it was.

Night came quickly and along with it came a cool breeze. It was incredibly dark, the moonlight being the only source of guidance.

“Shouldn’t we stop for now? I can barely see three feet in front of me…” Naruto yawned, his voice much quieter compared to earlier in the day. His words seemed raw now, like they were forcing themselves to crawl out of his throat. He was tired, it was easy to tell, and Sasuke was the same.

“Yeah…” Sasuke sighed quietly, not wanting Naruto to hear his relief. “Need food?”

Naruto stopped what he was doing in surprise. His eyes grew wide, though Sasuke could hardly tell. Embarrassingly enough, his blue eyes began to fill with water.

“No…” he said, clearing his voice, “I’m not hungry. Thanks though.”

“How can you not be hungry?” Sasuke asked monotonously as he began sliding his shirt off in preparation for sleep. Sasuke knew they would have to wake early tomorrow, getting to the base in three days… they would probably be cutting it close but he didn't know for sure. But aside from those thoughts was another: _‘He’s not eating... Naruto is pitying himself.’_ And another: ‘ _If he doesn’t eat he’ll just slow us down. I can’t make Orochimaru suspicious, it’ll just force him to watch us closer…”_

“I don’t know, is that a problem? I thought it’d be a good thing, considering we don’t have to look for much food.” Naruto said, his voice remaining unhostile but growing slightly defensive. He refused to look Sasuke’s way as he untied the jacket from around his waist.

“Naruto.” He stated, and that was it. Naruto’s stomach dropped, his insides flipping rapidly and his throat constricting. The thought briefly passed his consciousness: _How can he always mean so much with so little…?_ And Naruto knew he was caught, without even knowing what he was being caught for.

“What?” he asked as his defense slowly began to crumble. A few seconds of silence passed and Naruto occupied himself by slipping his black mesh shirt off of his body. He turned to Sasuke just as the thin fabric made its way over his head. Their eyes met, and Naruto knew Sasuke had been watching him intently. The blond could feel his body grow hot, he cleared his throat, shifting his feet as he tossed his shirt to the ground. _Would Sakura be mad…?_

“Fine. But I don’t see any food around here, do you?”

“No. There isn’t any.”

“Then—!” Naruto yelled, instantly being cut off by the other boy.

“I was just proving a point, idiot. Quiet down.” Sasuke chided nonchalantly, a hand running through his hair as he refused to break eye contact with the angry boy in front of him. He could see Naruto’s fists as they clinched, and a spark ran through his veins. It began in his gut and spread throughout his body; his toes, his head, his fingertips… they ached, they buzzed. Just how strong was Naruto now?

“You’re a bastard.”

“So you've said.” Sasuke smirked, not edging it on any longer because fighting now wouldn't do any good. There was already tension—and as much as he’d like to release some frustrations, Sasuke figured that could be saved for another time.

Naruto sighed, holding back a small smile from forming on his lips, his hands falling flat against his sides. And that was that.

No fire was made that night, it would only give away the two boy’s position. Though Sasuke couldn’t sense the chakra from the new ninja who had arrived with Naruto earlier (“Team Kakashi”), their powers were unknown to him so he thought it smart to stay as concealed as best they could.

Sasuke laid flat on his back, one arm behind his head, supporting it as he looked up at the sky. It was quiet tonight; peaceful. There were crickets, and wind that would howl every so often, and of course, the soft breathing of Naruto as he laid next to him. They weren’t so close as to touch, but they were a comfortable arm’s length apart. Again, Sasuke could feel a gnawing of nostalgia feeding on his stomach, turning it inside out and working its way to his heart. This feeling…it reminded him of missions from long ago when Kakashi was the tallest and when Sasuke always got stuck beside Naruto when night came. It reminded him of waking up to the sight of Naruto sound asleep, drool grossly making a path down his cheek. The feeling of shaking Naruto awake, hitting him as he mumbled sleepily, it reminded him of long nights with no words—just staring. It made Sasuke want to move away but also stay put, maybe move a little closer. But he didn't. Sasuke remembers Naruto, and his light snoring that took some time getting used to. He remembers that now and listens to the silence, the wind howl, the crickets and cicadas and he wonders did Naruto grow out of it? Sasuke does not turn to look at him, he doesn't feed his curiosity.

“Naruto.” He whispers, “Those people who were with you before, how are their skills?”

There was a shift next to him and now Sasuke could feel it. It was a burning sensation, Naruto's eyes as they stared at him. He refused to return the look.

“They're powerful.” Naruto whispered back, because it was night and it's taboo to speak too loudly now. He said this vaguely, but it was purposeful. Naruto wasn't dumb, he wasn't oblivious, and he wasn't a traitor. Giving Sasuke too much information was giving him an advantage. If they ever were to fight the Konoha team, Naruto wanted it to be fair.

“I know that.” Sasuke said, a hint of agitation making its way into his tired voice. “Tell me more.”

Naruto watched as his friend’s chest moved slowly up and down, watched as his pale skin was illuminated slightly under the moonlight, held his breath as he stared openly at Sasuke’s face—there were no consequences because Sasuke wouldn’t return his gaze. In his head, Naruto traced the other boy's jawline, his nose, his collarbones, his…

“No.” His voice was rough like sandpaper, and Sasuke supposed Naruto was more tired than he had previously let on. It took the dark-haired boy a moment before the denial reached his brain completely, and when it did, he didn’t like it.

“No? Naruto, you realize that they’re going to come after us, right?” Sasuke asked, his eyebrows furrowed and his voice slow. Maybe it was because he wanted to get the point through Naruto, or maybe it was because he was tired—the blond didn’t know for sure and he wasn’t about to analyze every single move. Not yet, anyway.

“I’ll tell you about them, Sasuke…” Naruto began, his eyes closing as a yawn escaped his mouth, “but I won’t tell you _about_ them. I’m not giving away weaknesses. That isn’t right.”

“Yeah, and neither is leaving the village.”

“Then we’re both wrong, aren’t we?” Naruto almost smiled. At least we’re both wrong together.

Sasuke had nothing to say, so he didn’t waste his breath on pointless words. Instead, he looked to his side, his hair falling in his face and framing it nicely. He looked at Naruto, whose body was turned to the side, facing Sasuke completely. Naruto, whose hair had gotten longer, so long that it was almost in his eyes, like Sasuke’s. Naruto, whose blue eyes seemed grey in the moonlight, whose face was calm with a hint of smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Sasuke doesn’t turn his body to the side like Naruto; only his neck, because it is small and meaningless and he can control it quickly.

“Sasuke…”

“What?” He answered slowly, his body already heading into sleep mode. He remembers the past, this is familiar, this is home.

“I’m pissed at you.”

“Yes.” He nods his head in agreement. Yes, he knows this, yes, he understands.

“You keep relying on that snake bastard for power. What’s going to happen when he finally decides he needs your body? It’s going to happen soon… he can only keep one vessel for so long. What your doing is stupid.”

“What _I’m_ doing is stupid?” Sasuke repeats, his eyes turning to slits as he stares into the other boy’s eyes. “You have no room to talk, Naruto.”

“What is that suppose to mean?” He asks, his voice raising slightly as he slowly begins to awaken. His brain is stirring and thinking and he can’t stop it now because Sasuke is here in front of him, and they are talking, and this is surreal.

“It means how dumb can you be? Leaving your home for no good reason. Naruto, you’re the real idiot.”

“It was for a good reason!” He whisper-yells, trying with all his might to keep his actions under control. _Oh, that reminds me…Yamato’s seal…_

“What? So you can watch me kill my brother? Is that yo—?”

“So you wouldn’t be alone again, Sasuke!”

“Tch,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes and looking away from Naruto’s concerned gaze, “I’m tired of hearing you say that.”

“Well I’m tired of you leaving! Running away, you’re a cowa—”

“A coward?” Sasuke asked, his voice deep and biting. One minute Naruto was staring at Sasuke’s side, the next minute he was on his back, Sasuke on top of him with his pale hands around his throat. The dark-haired boy had harshly landed on top of Naruto’s tan chest, forcing the air out of his lungs.

“Fuck!”

“Don’t forget who you’re talking to, Naruto.” Sasuke pushed, his thumbs digging into the other’s neck while his face came closer and closer to Naruto’s. Their breath mingled— Naruto’s harsh pants and Sasuke’s slow, uneven ones. Naruto’s hands covered Sasuke’s, his nails digging into pale flesh until the skin broke.

“How could I forget?” Naruto wheezed, squinting his eyes in disgust as he stared up at Sasuke, “I spent years chasing after you.” And then Sasuke was falling to the side and into the dirt, having been kicked off by Naruto’s fast movements. Naruto coughed, his hands coming to his throat in attempt to block another attack.

“I never asked you to.” Sasuke spat, getting to his feet just as Naruto did the same. A bolt of electricity seemed to course through him and suddenly, sleep was the last thing on his mind.

“It was implied.” Naruto’s voice was hoarse and dry and Sasuke liked the sound of it. The blond’s fists clinched, his body temperature rising as he stared at the smirk etched onto Sasuke’s face.

“You always were a slow learner.”

“Dammit, Sasuke!” He yelled, his voice echoing into the clear night sky. He lunged for the other boy, his fists high in the air and ready to land a punch, only to be stopped by the palm of Sasuke’s right hand. His left then came up, grabbing Naruto’s wrist and throwing him to the dirt with a loud thud.

“You’re slow.” Sasuke observed, his voice a purposeful taunt. He wondered just how far he could rial Naruto up.

“I’m tired.” Naruto sighed. It wasn't an excuse, it was a statement. It was a broad generalization because he was _tired_. Tired of fighting, tired of thinking, tired of _feeling_. Naruto just wanted to be done for today.

“Then why do you keep going on and on?” Sasuke sighed, looking down at Naruto who continued to lie in the dirt. “You say I don’t make sense but you’re the one who's always acting without thinking.”

“I think with my heart.”

“Stop with that shit and get up.” He said, reaching down hesitantly to extend his hand to Naruto. He didn’t know why he did it, but seeing Naruto down on the ground like that, looking up at him with tired eyes… it made him hurt. It was a kind of dull aching of a pain, one he was familiar with, and one he expected to feel continuously for the rest of his life. But, at least not now.

Naruto paused, his mouth opening wide in surprise. “E-eh?” He was in a sort of shock, a state between confusion and happiness that he had felt before many times because of Sasuke. But he wasn’t really hesitant, not in the least. He took Sasuke’s cold hand into his warm one and was lifted off of the ground with one strong tug from his friend.

In his heart, Sasuke had not fully committed to the idea of killing Naruto. He had thought about it, spent many sleepless nights contemplating the outcomes, wondering what Naruto’s face would look like before Sasuke gave the final blow. In his mind, Sasuke had not fully committed either. He liked to believe he had, but even now he was helping him. He didn’t even think about it—which was a rare occurrence for Sasuke, anyway—before helping Naruto, before thinking about Naruto, before _worrying_ about Naruto.

He hated this feeling. He was still so weak.

“Sasuke, you’re squeezing my hand too hard…” Naruto complained, ripping his hand away. His voice was still rough, partly from sleep, partly from being choked. Water would be nice now.

“Let’s go to bed.” Sasuke ordered, turning his back to Naruto and stepping back to where they had been previously laying. Sasuke felt as if it were peaceful again, and he hated it. The blond watched him, saying nothing as he followed. “Oh, and Naruto…”

“Yeah?”

“I’m going to kill Orochimaru… and you’re going to help me.”

⌧

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is very late (even though I never set a specific upload date lol). As always, I'm having a lack of motivation. Sorry if this chapter feels differently/has a totally different style from the first two. Please bear with me and thank you for supporting me by reading and leaving comments ^^ I hope you enjoyed this chapter~


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto doesn't think he should be this happy to end another person's life. Never in his sixteen years of living had he felt anything as morbid as this, and he blamed it all on Sasuke. It was every bit his fault—it was a disgustingly good feeling, and he thought it would be even better once he really _did_ end Orochimaru’s life. How terrifying his thoughts had become… not that he hadn’t thought up a scenario like this before, though.

Last night, Sasuke had said that line— _I’m going to kill Orochimaru… and you’re going to help me—_ expecting it to end their little argument when in reality, it only sparked Naruto into further action. They didn't go to sleep until early that morning as Naruto forced answers from his tired friend who only spat out his replies in hopes of going to bed sooner. Of course, that didn’t work.

“How?!” Naruto had exclaimed, a question naturally making it’s way up his throat. He didn’t think about the fact that he was going to help Sasuke— _because of course he was_ —he was already wondering _how and when and where and with who else?_ Surely only the two of them couldn’t be enough? Naruto was confident in his new skills (though Kurama continued to spring up at unnecessary moments) and he knew Sasuke had gotten stronger as well, but as much as he despised to admit it, that snake bastard was powerful. After all, he _is_ one of the Legendary Sannin, just like Pervy Sage.

_... I’m sorry for leaving without a goodbye, Jiraya…_

“It’ll be when we get back to the hideout. We’ll strike before Orochimaru even has a chance to be suspicious.” Sasuke replied, his voice gradually lowering back into a whisper.

“You can’t just pull a plan like this out of your ass, Sasuke! Sin—”

“ _Who do you think I am?_ ” Sasuke said deeply, “Of course, I’ve been planning this from the moment I left the village.”

That answer stopped Naruto dead in his tracks. “Oh.” His mind was whirling with answers and questions and hopes and doubts. _Had he not really wanted to leave after all? He was doing it to get power...but he didn't really want to abandon the village, right?_

“Naruto, don't start thinking about things that are untrue.” Sasuke whispered. It wasn't a friendly suggestion or a mild side-comment, it was an order, a must-do-as-I-say kind of tone—one that Naruto was used to, one that he was not bothered by. He really should have been bothered by it though, but instead it brought him a deep feeling of nostalgia; a sense of home.

“I’m not thinking an—”

“I can see it on your face. I left the village because I wanted more power, but that doesn't mean leaving the village was difficult for me.”

Naruto didn't say anything in reply, so Sasuke thought it best to continue. “Orochimaru is skilled but I’ve become powerful too. I was planning on killing him by myself, so most likely you won't even be—”

“Of course I am! I'm going to figh—”

Sasuke sighed, his head had begun to ache. He laid back down on the ground, shivering slightly as a gust of wind blew against his bare skin. He looked to Naruto who was also shirtless, wearing nothing but his baggy, unbuttoned pants that seemed to hang too low for any good movement. Sasuke on the other hand wore his pants as they were suppose to be worn, and he was plenty comfortable that way. The dark-haired boy placed his right arm under his head, taking in a deep breath in preparation for the argument he knew was coming.

“Naruto. If I need you, you'll fight. If I don't, then you won't.” Sasuke closed his eyes, the stars giving him too much grief. Too many memories.

“What kind of shit is that?!” Naruto yelled, sitting down on the ground with a thump. He folded his legs indian style, his elbows resting on them as he bent over with his face in his palms. “Look, I get that you’ve planned this and all, but there's no point fighting alone if you have me.”

Sasuke was silent, and Naruto thought briefly that he might have fallen asleep. _Already? We were in the middle of talking…_

His curiosity got the better of him and he leaned forward, his face coming close with the other boy's. _Well, his breathing is steady enough._ _Those dark circles under his eyes look bad, how often does he sleep? His face looks so girly, such a weird mix with his body. His lips look really soft why are m—_ But Sasuke opened his eyes, instantly turning his face into a glare.

“Why are you so close, Usuratonkachi?”

“I was hoping you were dead.” Naruto smiled, his wide eyes the only thing giving away his surprise. Sasuke pushed him backwards so suddenly that Naruto didn't have time to act, his back hitting the ground and a laugh bubbling up his throat. It was a loud laugh, a long one that echoed throughout the quiet night and shook his body. His legs uncrossed and lifted into the air, falling down childishly as he continued to laugh.

It was faint, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it type moment in time, it was soft and bright, and it was Sasuke as the corners of his lips lifted slightly. It was Sasuke as he couldn't help but smile, too. “Shut up, already.” he complained, and a new round of laughs left Naruto’s throat.

And that was that.

Long after it had quieted down again and the two boys were half asleep, a question sprung into Naruto’s tired mind.

“Sasuke?” He called hesitantly, his voice a breathy whisper, barely heard above the slight wind. Naruto waited for an answer, a shift of Sasuke’s body, a hum of acknowledgment, _anything_. When he heard nothing he opened his eyes, looking to the right where Sasuke lay beside him. To his surprise, Sasuke was awake, his vision glued to the sky. Naruto could see stars reflected in his dark eyes, an odd expression covering his face. It was a peaceful sort of blank look, and Naruto didn't know if he liked it or not.

“Sasuke…” He said again, a little louder. “After we kill Orochimaru, what do you plan on doing?”

Sasuke’s mouth was dry, his throat tight. He wasn’t surprised Naruto was still awake. He too had many sleepless nights after first leaving the village. “I'm going to find my brother.”

“Obviously.” Naruto grumbled, shifting his eyes to look at the same stars as his friend. _They're not very bright, tonight_ . _Oh...is that the sun?_

He could see a dark purple-orange mixture of light, barely breaking the horizon. He groaned internally, tomorrow— _more like today_ —was going to be a very long one.

“I have a team prepared.” Sasuke whispered, his eyelids closing slowly. He threw an arm over his eyes, trying his best to will away any excess light so he could have at least a slight possibility of sleep.

“Team?” Naruto questioned, a smile on his face. His gut seemed to be in a million pieces, violently spinning around inside of his body. Any team of Sasuke’s would be one he wanted desperately to meet. _Just what kind of things have they been through together? Did Sasuke tell them about Konoha? About_ me? Naruto couldn't wait to meet them already, even if they probably were criminals—considering who they were working alongside.

 _Does that mean I’m a criminal now, too?_ It was a fleeting thought, it passed by quickly and was never thought of again because to Naruto, it didn't matter. It didn't matter at all.

“Yes. There are three others.” Sasuke reluctantly answered. He was tired and thoughts of the future weren't any help in getting his brain to go to sleep.

“And… they kno—?”

“They know what they need to.”

“Have you worked with them a lot?” Naruto questioned, because he couldn't help himself. He could feel Sasuke’s nerves begin to snap, could feel Sasuke’s tired voice reverberate through his own bare chest, but still he pushed on.

But his efforts were wasted.

“Naruto. Be quiet.”

Naruto huffed.

And that was that.

⌧

The morning sun forced its way past Sasuke’s eyelids, despite his best attempts to use his arm as a shield. He groaned awake, stretching his legs and removing his arm from his face. He could feel his body; it was more sluggish and heavy than normal, and already he wished to go to sleep again. He blamed it all on Naruto.

 _That idiot, keeping me up with unnecessary questions._ He complained, though he knew answering those questions hadn't been a complete chore for him. Talking in general wasn't Sasuke’s _thing,_ but he didn't mind it as much if it was with Naruto. Sasuke; his feelings, his thoughts, his actions, his words—, he was a contradiction and he knew it. He figured he’d have it no other way, even if it was harder for people to understand him. It just made Naruto’s words slice all the deeper into his skin, sink even further into his brain: _I understand you!_

 _Yes,_ Sasuke sighed a tired sigh, _and me too, Naruto._

Finally, Sasuke squinted his eyes open, turning his head in order to evade the harsh sun. It was low in the sky, but enough risen that Sasuke knew they had to get moving quickly. It wasn't afternoon yet, he could still hear the chirping birds and fresh air that came with mornings like these.

Beside him lay Naruto, his golden hair tasseled around him wildly, blending in perfectly with the sunlight. Drool was grossly seeping out of his mouth in a thin line, and he looked nothing but peaceful. Sasuke watched as his tan chest moved slowly up and down, and a thought briefly crossed his mind— _stop breathing, leave me alone—_ but was gone as soon as it had come. He noticed a multitude of new-looking scratches and bruises on Naruto’s arms and chest, and wondered if he still continued to train everyday. Well… of course he did, it was Naruto after all. _How strong is he now?_

Naruto’s arms had more meat on them now, unlike the scrawny arms of a twelve-year-old they used to be. _Who had he trained with? Kakashi? By himself? Surely not with Sakura…_

Sasuke’s dark eyes moved up to Naruto’s face, his vision scanning each whisker-like scar, almost as if his fingertip was running against them. And before he knew it, that's exactly what was happening. His pale finger contrasted nicely against the other’s skin and Sasuke was slightly amazed at the warmth that oozed out of Naruto. He watched as the blond stirred slightly— as if his nose had been tickled but refused to remove his finger from the slightly raised surface.

 _Scars are weird;_ It was probably one of the most unintelligent thoughts Sasuke ever had the nightmare of thinking, yet in the moment he couldn’t care to notice. Scars _are_ weird—how six little lines could represent a family being torn apart, an orphaned kid, a village attack, a shunned child… it didn’t make any sense to Sasuke. But then again, it _did._ Because in reality it doesn’t _really_ matter what’s on the inside, it’s the outside everyone pays attention to.

And even internal scars could have an external face—this was one thing Sasuke knew first hand. Why else would he have been outcasted from the village? Why else would he be forced to live alone inside the compound his entire clan was slaughtered in? Yes, Sasuke’s scar was just like Naruto's—but only someone with a scar like Naruto’s could understand.

Sasuke thought his lack of sleep must be finally getting to him. These feelings weren't his own, they were coming from years of memories flooding back, they were coming from seeing this person _my best friend_ again after so long, they were coming from a place he couldn't care to think about any longer. His cold hands pulled away from Naruto’s warm face and Sasuke turned his head back to the sky. He sat up slowly, his hands running subconsciously through his silky hair and massaging his own neck gently. He hated sleeping on the ground.

Sasuke picked his bundled shirt up from behind him where his head had laid just seconds ago. He shook it slightly, brown dirt falling back to brown dirt; a stubborn smudge or two clinging as stains but Sasuke didn't mind. He slid his shirt back onto his body, standing up so he could do the same with his purple cloth and rope. He turned away from Naruto, doing so in order to prevent himself from staring at the other boy.

_How stupid._

And with the rustling of clothes combined with the bright sunlight, Naruto also awoke—his blurry eyes trying hard to focus on the world around him. He squints, noticing instantly the emptiness next to him where Sasuke had gone to sleep. _Oh god, where is he?_ The pit of his stomach coils into a knot and his body flies forward. He sits up so fast it makes him dizzy but Naruto pays no attention to that—only listening to the feeling of absolute dread coursing through his veins, he has to move fast, he needs to look around, _how long has he been gone?_ A shift comes from his right and Naruto looks up, his whole body feeling on the verge of collapsing.

_Sasuke was here, he hadn’t left, it’s all okay…_

And with a long sigh Naruto lays back down with a quick thump, his hands coming up to rub the sleep away from his eyes. In that moment the embarrassment catches up with him and he can feel his face grow warmer and warmer by the second. _How childish… overreacting like that… god…_ Naruto lets out a dramatic groan.

Sasuke turns around quickly, his thoughts vanishing into blankness as he stares at Naruto, his face red, his hands covering his eyes. _Fuck, was he awake the whole time?_ And then Sasuke is silent—thinking nothing, saying nothing, doing nothing. It’s a kind of embarrassment that makes him _really_ want to kill Naruto but also never look at him again. He’s never felt this strongly before over something as childish as this— _wait, that’s probably not true… Naruto and I used to fight over the simplest things_ —but still Sasuke doesn’t quite know how to react.

“Naruto.” he says, and the other boy perks up quickly. “How long have you been awake?”

“Eh? Just woke up…” He said groggily, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, “why?”

“Get dressed and let's go, we’ve got a tight schedule.”

And that was that.

⌧

Tsunade woke up with her face pressed against her desk, smooshing her cheek. She looked around, cursing the sunlight that entered through the many windows of her office. _When did I fall asleep?_

She could feel the Anbu watching her;  there were six in total—many more than usual. She wondered if by now: _had Danzo heard the news?_ Tsunade wasn’t an idiot, she knew for a fact that there were double agents working in the village; one side Anbu, the other Root, and the Hokage figured it would be that way forever. That didn’t mean she had to like it, though.

Tsunade rubbed her face quickly, making sure to get rid of any drool that might have escaped her mouth. She had been up all night attempting to make a plan of action. Where would she go from here? They still needed Sasuke and all his information on Orochimaru, but now Naruto too? Yamato had said something yesterday that had sparked her interest: _When Naruto had decided to leave, Sasuke’s eyes were red with Sharingan._

_Was Naruto forced to leave?_

Since the Hokage had not been there, she had no idea if this theory was true or not, but it definitely was a possibility. This, in turn, raises another question: _Why?_ _Why would Sasuke take him?_ Tsunade could think of only a few answers, and she didn’t like any of them. Naruto wasn’t just a goof, or a boy, or a ninja—he was a jinchuuriki—he was powerful and unnatural, and a great subject for experiments. No, Tsunade didn’t like this at all.

“Bird, Eagle, and Cat.” She mumbled, and instantly before her were three Anbu—two men and one woman with such long purple hair that Tsunade wondered how she did anything. They didn’t speak, only awaited orders with a bowed head and one knee touching the ground.

“Captain…”

“Yes, Lord Hokage.” The man in the bird-mask spoke, his head lifting to meet the eyes of his leader.

“Prepare a mission for bringing back Naruto and Sasuke. We’re only going to do this once, and we’re going to do it right.”

“Yes.”

And they were gone.

⌧

Sakura laid sleeping in her hospital bed, her body completely drained of fluids other than the IV which stuck out of her pale arm. She was asleep, her breathing even and slow. Her eyes were red and puffy, and even in sleep she couldn’t help but cry. Tears slowly danced down her face and onto her pillow; a dark grey spot had already formed on either side of her face. Every now and then a small word or two would escape her mouth: _please…_ or maybe a _no!_ but whatever she did, she would not open her eyes.

Not yet.

Ino sat beside her in a blue plastic chair, her body hunched over and gently half-laying on Sakura’s right leg. She stared up at her friend, tears in her own eyes. Behind them on the window-sill were three beautiful flower arrangements that Ino had quickly made herself. They were filled with white and pinkish-purple Oak Leaf Geraniums, purple Hyacinth, and baby pink Peonies.

A deep ache was buried in her chest, a feeling unlike any Ino had experienced before. She observed Sakura—there was no _real_ physical damage, it was all internal for her; emotional, psychological damage that Ino would spend a long time trying to heal. She couldn’t make a promise like Naruto had once done: no _I’ll bring them back to the village!_ because she knew she couldn’t. Ino couldn’t even really understand her pain, because both of her teammates (as lazy and annoying as they were) were still here. They were beside her doing missions, asking her about her day, arguing with her, learning with her. Ino wondered how it felt to be all alone now and in a weird twist of thought, wondered if the boys did this to Sakura on purpose.

Ino’s head bolted up at the sound of the door opening. She watched as Shikamaru strolled in with his hands in his pockets, and Choji following quietly behind—something abnormal for him.

“Ino, Asuma wants us for training.”

She looked to Sakura, how tears had left streaks down her face and how her eyelids would flicker and crease. The pit in her stomach only grew.

“Okay.”

And then they left, the door closing behind the team and leaving Sakura by herself, the only noise being the beeping of the heart monitor and the shallow breaths she took.

⌧

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Flower Meanings:  
> Oak Leaf Geraniums: "True Friendship"; white Geraniums are also thought to ward off snakes (lol)  
> Hyacinth: deep sorrow/grief  
> Peonies: healing/good fortune
> 
> I haven't had time to write & motivation is always hard to come by—lol I wrote the Naruto and Sasuke parts early last week and just finished this chapter up today but you guys will probably read it in less than 10 minutes (sigh). I've been wanting to make them longer but I figured I should go ahead and post this instead of stalling. I hope you guys enjoyed, nonetheless.
> 
> p.s. Sorry for any mistakes if there are more than usual, I didn't proof-read @-@


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